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24 January 2019

Dal Makhani (pronounced doll mock-NEE), a buttery lentil curry, is a popular Indian (Punjabi, to be precise) dish introduced to me by Tony of the delightful blog London Calling after his autumn trip to northern India. Tony was part of a group of six whose guide organized a cooking experience for them in the home of a family in Old Delhi. This recipe is my adaptation of one he learned.Dal Makhani is only the second Indian dish I’ve ever made, the first being Chicken Tikka Masala. With copious amounts of butter and cream, this is a very rich vegetarian, though not vegan, dish often reserved for special occasions.It can be the main dish or an accompaniment. For me, a 1-cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) portion makes a perfect lunch all on its own, but it’s strictly a side dish for Mr Delightful.The recipe Tony got from his hostess/instructor in Old Delhi called for cooking it in a pressure cooker. But I thought, since I’m brand new to pressure cooking, I’d adapt it to stovetop.Lentils require no soaking and have quite a short cook time, and by using canned red kidney beans instead of dried, which take a long time, it really comes together rather quickly.Dal Makhani requires no special equipment, just a 3-quart saucepan and a 2-quart saucepan and a food processor or blender to puree the fresh tomatoes. I’ve converted the difficult-to-find-here spices, such as black and green cardamom pods, to available ground spices.Though I make no claims to authenticity, I think my adaptation captures the flavors quite well. But feel free to play with the spice amounts to suit your own palate.

Dal Makhani

(Makes seven 1-cup servings)3 cups (24 fluid ounces/710 ml) water1 1/8 cup (8 ounces/227 grams) lentils (I could not find the whole black gram lentils/urad dal called for)1 15-ounce (425 grams) can red kidney beans, drained3/4 cup* (6 fluid ounces/177 ml) heavy cream, divided3/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon paprika, divided1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or 4 whole cloves1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2-inch piece of cinnamon stick1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom1/8 teaspoon cayenne6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander1 1/4 teaspoons cumin or 1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) tomatoes, pureed in food processor1 4-ounce (113 grams) can diced green chiles (hot or mild, I used the hot) or 2 to 3 green chiles, mincedGarnish: cilantro (also known as fresh coriander leaves)* That is a very generous amount of cream. I think next time I make it I'll use half the amount.1 In 3-quart saucepan, bring water just to the boil. Stir in lentils that have been rinsed and picked over for debris. Bring the water to a rapid boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender.Note: If you use urad dal, whole black gram lentils, they will require soaking and longer cooking.2 Stir in the kidney beans, half the cream (3 ounces), salt, half the paprika (1/4 teaspoon), ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and cayenne. Leave it simmer for 15 minutes or so while you proceed with the tomato mixture.3 In 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the coriander, cumin, remaining 1/4 teaspoon paprika, tomato puree and green chiles. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes “or till the butter leaves the gravy.” (If you don’t know what that last bit means, don’t ask me; just cook it for about 6 minutes and let that be that!)4 Stir the sauce into the lentil mixture and cook for another 10 minutes over low heat. Stir in the remaining cream and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice and naan or roti.Jean

Hi Jean. Well done and thank you for making one of the dishes Marilyn and I experienced in Delhi. The lady of the house, we visited, showed us how to cook all the recipes I sent on to you.We then had to eat. The food just kept coming. It was very difficult to say, "no more," after a while. I think I ate two lots of everything. I know we all felt very full. Her elderly mother and her son were also there. The old lady hugged each one of us as we arrived and placed a bindi mark on our foreheads.They were so welcoming. Marilyn and I feel inspired to go back to India, perhaps to another part of India next time. Delhi is an intense place. There are some upsetting sights, beggar families with babies crawling in the dirt but also many uplifting experiences too.

Like it, Sully…like it. Good gollee-gollee, I think I do. I mean, it looks like chili. Of course, killing cows doesn’t fly well – fly?…as in the cow flew over the moon – in a lot of India, but I’m just saying it LOOKS like chili con carne. And we know that appearance is half the pleasure of good cuisine, right? So, I think I like it. Depends on the sauce, and you are very good at making the case for your sauces. Me, if I describe sauce, it sounds like porn. But you always get enough spice or sweetness on board those sauces to sell me. Which way to the Taj Mahal?

Well, Sully, I'm shocked and awed! But, yes, you may consider it chili. It has the heat of the chiles and spices, and you can make it even zippier by increasing the quantities of those elements. There you go!

I think our experience level with Indian cooking is about the same! Nonetheless, I love lentils so reckon this would be a great addition to my comfort food repertoire. Thank you for the note that the cream could be reduced.

Thank you, Pauline. I really liked this dish, but I liked it even more before the addition of that last 3 ounces of cream. I'll definitely go with 3 ounces total next time. The color is prettier and the flavors brighter with just 3 ounces.

I'd say that your version gets the flavour and feel of this dish just right. Sounds lovely. Although I admit that I'm far from authentic in my tastes and my idea of Dal Makhani is based on the many (probably too many) restaurants I've visited in England. Black lentils aren't hard to find over here but I've found them tricky to cook well in the past. Years ago a friend who was born in India told me that I was rushing the cooking and that I should soak black lentils for 12 hours and then cook them slowly for 6 hours. I thought she was kidding me, I didn't follow her advice and we lost touch soon after. Some time later I had the best black lentil dish I've ever eaten in a local restaurant (now closed, sadly). When I met the chef and asked him the secret he told me that it took him 18 hours to prepare the lentils - 12 hours of soaking and 6 of cooking slowly. And so the lesson I learnt was believe your friends - at least when they tell you about lentils.

I appreciate that you've translated it to the vernacular for us. It's so much easier to use those spices I already have. And I will use half the cream as you suggest. I'm pretty sure I will love this! I'm a fan of diced green chilies.

Vee, you sound just like one of my friends! I did get her to taste my hummus once, but it was quite an ordeal. You know, the big "working up to it," then putting an infinitesimal speck of it on the tip of her tongue while making a dreadful face! That's okay--we all have our "things!"

This looks delicious, Jean! I love the spices you have used. I can just imagine how wonderful this dish smells while it's cooking! Thank you for sharing, and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Hope you have a lovely weekend!

I like some Indian food and this sounds great. I think the smell of it cooking alone would entice me. Although I've never once cooked lentils, I am willing to try. Thanks for sharing your recipe and when I get around to making this, I'll let you know how it turned out.

This sounds so good I haven't really cooked a lot of Indian dishes but it is something I have wanted to venture into may have to start with this one. Thanks for sharing at the " BLoggers Pit Stop" hope to see you next week.

Rosie, thank you so much. Once I pick up a few more spices, I'll be ready to try more Indian dishes. The lists of ingredients might seem very long, but if you have the spices on hand, it shouldn't be difficult. It's always fun to learn new dishes.

I do enjoy international dishes... and loves spices... This recipe is perfect for the cold weather that we are experiencing here... We're expecting another storm on Wednesday might .. so I best get cooking..Thanks for sharing...Hugs

Yes! This looks delicious and an extra bonus--it's low in carb. I loooove using my pressure cooker and was wondering if you know how long to cook it once it comes up to pressure? Gonna have to try it. Thanks Jean!

Thanks, Richard. The lady in India who made this in the pressure cooker (a stovetop pressure cooker, I think) soaked the legumes overnight and pressure cooked for 30 minutes before adding that mixture to the tomato mixture. Let me know how it turns out for you! But, as I mentioned, the black "lentils" she used are not what we in the US call lentils and require more cooking, same length of time as the kidney beans.

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Here you'll find original recipes that warm the body and the soul, recipes of the sort to become a family tradition in your family as well as mine. And I go outside the purview of food blogs with the occasional article about tea, wine and travel.